Operating mechanism for machine guns



Ap 1931- R. c. COUPLAND OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Dec. 21. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aprii 7, 1931. R. c. COUPLAND 1,799,284

" OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Dec. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmntoz Richard E- England Patented Apr. 7, 1931 RICHARD C. COUPLAND, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA OPERATING IlIECHANISM FOR MACEINE GUNS Application filed. December 21, 19.2 9.

Serial No. 415,797.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for machine guns.

Machine guns are provided with a bolt handle to permit manual retraction of the bolt in order to reproduce the action of the gun mechanism during firing for the purpose of initially loading the gun and correcting stoppages. For guns mounted in proximity to the gunner it is customary to provide a bolt operatin slide .of the type disclosed in 15 Patent 1,460,415 and for guns remotely mounted in the wings of an airplane or in the floor of the fuselage a flexible or rigid connection has been made to the slide. In view of the reduced clearances and the limitations imposed by the structure of the airplane such prior arrangements have not been entirely satisfactory. I

According to the present invention, it is proposed to replace the rigid bolt operating slide with a flexible operating mechanism which will function in a more satisfactory manner and provide greater freedom of installation for both the proximate and the remote guns.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: T

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a machine gun equipped with the improved bolt operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bolt operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the mechanism arranged for proximate operation;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of mechanism arranged for remote operation;

F ig. 6 is a View in rear elevation of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7.7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view through the forward end of the mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a detail View in side elevation of the slide member.

In Fig. 1 the side plate 6 of a machine gun is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 7 in which the operating handle 8 of the breech bolt reciprocates during actuation of the gun. Secured tothe side plate at either end of the slot are front and rear brackets 9 and 10 for supporting a tube 11 parallel to and directly below the slot 7. The forward end of the tube is closed bya plug 12 (Fig.

9) which has a finger 13 for insertion in the front bracket 9. On the rear end 0; the tube is fixed a collar or ring '14 (F ig. 4) having a flattened side 15 and arranged to fit into a groove 16 formed internally in .the rear bracket 10. This cap plate is secured in place by screws 17.

Within the tube'll is a slide member 18 consisting of a short tubular member to give ample bearing surface and having a hook 19 projecting through a slot 20 in the upper surface of the tube in position to engage in front of the handle 8 of the bolt. A spring 21 confined between the slide and a hollow plug 22 threaded internally to the rear end of the tube, serves to normally maintain the slide at the forward end of the tube. The slide is retracted by means of a flexible cable 23 secured thereto in any suitable manner and disposed within the spring. The cable extends through the hollow plug 22 and terminates in a knob or grip 24.

Referring to Fig. 4 wherein the mechanism is arranged for proximate operation, a block 25 is secured to the plug 22 as by threading n and is provided with a notch or buttonhole slot 26 for engaging a bead 27 on the cable to prevent forward movement of the slide. Retention of the bolt in retracted position is desired when it becomes necessary to raise the 1 cover of the gun in reducing stoppages.

ferred for remote control and in this case the block for holding the cable will be placed near the gunner.

Particular attention is invited. tothe. fact that the mechanism includes a spring 21 for holding and restoring the slide to the for ward position although the bolt of the inachine gun likewise hasareturnspring. When employing an operating cable of any length the friction of the parts becomes so great as to seriously slow up and impair thefunctioning of the bolt and bolt return spring unless the auxiliary spring is provided.

I claim:

1. The combination with a machine gun having a bolt and a bolt handle, of a front and an internally grooved rear bracket secured to the side of the gun, a tube having a finger insertable in the front bracket, a collar on the rear of the tube engageable by the rear bracket, a slide within the tube and having a portion extending through the tube to engage the bolt handle, a spring for normally holding the slide at the forward end of the tube, and a flexible cable for retracting the slide.

2. The combination with a machine gun having a bolt and a bolt handle, of a front and an internally grooved rear bracket secured to the sideof the gun, a'tube having a finger insertable in the front bracket, a collar on the rear of the tube engageable by the rear bracket, a slide withinthe tube and having a portion extending through the tube to engage the bolt handle and a flexible cable for retracting the slide.

3. Mechanism for manually operating the bolt of a machine gun including a tube securable to the gun, a slide in said tube having a hook extending through the tube, a hollow plug in the rear end of the tube, a spring confined between the slide and plug, a flexible cable attached to the slide and extending through the hollow plug, ahead on said cable, and a, block attached to the hollow plug and having a notch for engagement of the bead on the cable. I V

. a. Mechanism for manually operating the bolt of a machine gun including a tube securable to the gun,ja slide in said tube having a hook extending through the tube, a hollow plug in the rear end of the tube, a spring confined between the slide and'plug, and a flexible cable attached to the slide and extending .ihrough the hollow plug.

5. Mechanism for manually operatingthe belt of a machine gun including a tube-scour able to the gun, a slide in said tube having a hook extending through the'tube, a hollow plug in the rear end of thetube, a spring confined between the slide and'plug, a flexible cable attached to the slide and extending through the hollow plug and a socket member I RICHARD o. COUPLAND. 

